Wheelchair

The wheelchair's history reaches back to at least 1595, when an unknown Spanish craftsman built a chair on wheels for King Philip II of Spain, who suffered from gout. This royal commission established the wheelchair as a legitimate solution to mobility impairment, though the design would take centuries to evolve from a specialized luxury into a practical tool for independent movement.

Early wheelchairs were pushed by attendants—heavy wooden chairs with small wheels that could move across level floors but could not be self-propelled. Users were passengers rather than operators. The design prioritized the comfort of seated rest over independent mobility.

Self-propulsion emerged gradually. Stephan Farfler, a German paraplegic watchmaker, built a hand-cranked three-wheeled chair around 1655. But self-propelled designs remained rare until the late 19th century, when bicycle technology provided lightweight wheels, pneumatic tires, and improved bearings. The modern manual wheelchair—large rear wheels that users can push, small front casters for steering—crystallized in this period.

The 20th century brought motorized wheelchairs, folding designs for transport, and specialized variants for sports, terrain, and specific disabilities. The Americans with Disabilities Act (1990) mandated accessibility features in buildings, forcing architects to consider wheelchair users in their designs. Curb cuts, ramps, and accessible bathrooms became legal requirements rather than optional amenities.

The wheelchair's evolution illustrates how technology interacts with social attitudes. The device itself changed relatively slowly; what changed dramatically was the expectation that wheelchair users could participate in public life. Architectural accessibility, sports programs, and employment protections all expanded what the wheelchair could enable.

A chair that monarchs used for passive rest became a vehicle for independent life. The mechanical principles changed less than the social context that gave them meaning.